Insignia Cruise Review by howlpat

AIR TRAVEL… We received the air travel through Oceania based on a promotion they were offering. At the time it seemed more reasonable to do this rather than purchase our own airfare, however, I would more thoroughly research airfares on our own next time, since Oceania sometimes offers a good credit when removing the airfare and transfers. Additionally, while the air travel was not unreasonably routed, there was a connection in London which was only an hour long and we had to run to make our flight to Athens, and were worried again about missing our connection on our return to Boston. Other than that, they used British Airways, and it was fine.

EMBARKATION… We used the ship’s transfers which was a private taxi from Athens airport to the port – very nice, and efficiently done. We got to the port about 1:00, and even though check-in was not supposed to be until 3:00, we were able to get right on the ship. In Athens they do much of the check-in on the ship itself in the Insignia Lounge. There was no line and it was very smooth. However, our rooms were not ready until 3:00, so we had a snack in the Terrace Café, walked around the ship, and then rested on some couches by the Concierge Lounge until our room was ready. [On Azamara, we arrived right at the appointed check-in time, embarkation was very swift, and they greeted us with champagne and escorted us to our rooms.]

STATEROOMS… We had a C1 ocean view cabin, room 4009. . We loved the location of our room. It is at the end of a hallway, so no traffic going by. It is near to the stairwell where you can either go down to the gangway or you can go up to the Insignia Lounge or go out on deck 5 to check the weather, and it is a short walk down the hall to Reception and then right up the stairs to the Grand Dining Room.

Our room was very nice. Not huge, but big enough, and just enough drawer and closet space for two weeks of clothing. There was a large picture window. The towels were fine and the bed was comfortable. There were robes & slippers, umbrella (very large…next time we will bring our own compact ones), and hairdryer (okay, but I was glad to have my own). The showers were nice and hot, and strong enough with removable shower head. I would agree with some who indicate that the shower curtains should be replaced, but other than that, it was just fine. [On Azamara, we paid for an ocean view cabin, but were upgraded to a balcony. We didn’t miss the balcony on this trip, and feel that our room was – or seemed – larger on Oceania. The towels were very big and fluffy on Azamara and the beds were very comfortable, but it was a newer ship. There were also binoculars, but the showers were not quite as strong.]

Our steward and her assistant quickly cleaned our room whenever we were out even for a short time. Oceania chocolates were on our pillow each night, and ice was replaced each day. There were 2 free bottles of water that we could use at our convenience and others we could pay for. I have heard that next year there will be free bottled water, which would be nice. [ On Azamara, every room is treated like a suite with butler service, fresh flowers, fresh fruit, afternoon and bedtime snacks, but we didn’t miss this much either. They did have a pitcher of ice water replenished each day, which would have been nice.]

The television had many stations, including current news. There were also 3 or 4 stations that ran continuous movies. There was a list of what would be playing each day, and it was quite varied. Each stateroom also had a DVD player, and there is a very large list of dvds to choose from, which you can sign out at the Reception Desk. [ On Azamara, the television stations were very limited and it was difficult to get news. I don’t recall dvd players.] SHIP… These ships have everything the mega-ships have, just on a smaller scale (well, not rock-climbing walls, waterslides, mini golf courses or skating rinks, which we feel do not belong on a ship anyway!). There is no grand theater, but we have seen enough big production shows to last a lifetime, and much prefer a smaller cabaret venue for nightly entertainment.

The Insignia is beautifully decorated in soft colors and lovely window treatments. It is definitely more elegantly appointed than the Azamara Quest. Most of the public rooms are the same. One difference is the 5th floor area around the main staircase…the Quest uses this as the Mosaic Café with coffee and pastries and as a lounge with a piano, whereas the Insignia uses this space for the Future Cruises director, and then just a sitting area where you can listen to the string quartet. Also on Deck 5, on the Quest the bar next to the Casino is a Sports Bar area with a big screen tv, while the Insignia had one of our favorite lounges – Martinis Bar, which has the piano and lovely seating areas for playing trivia or just gathering for drinks. On Deck 4, the Quest had a high end jewelry shop, whereas the Insignia has a Concierge and sitting area – we never did find out what the concierge does…maybe something for passengers in suites. There was one extra bar on the Quest, in the back of the ship called the Sunset Bar…the Insignia uses this as extra dining for the Terrace Café/Tapas on the Terrace.

It was easy to find our way around the ship…the food is located in the back of the ship and the entertainment is in the front of the ship. Most public areas are on decks 5, 9, and 10, with a little on decks 4 and 11. It is such a joy to be able to get from our room to the dining room or an event in such a short amount of time! There are just 2 stairwells – front and back. The stairwells are so cute and easy to climb, since they aren’t very high. Elevators came quickly and were never full. We especially like the small size of this ship, which enabled us to get around very easily, and avoided any “waiting” at any point in the day…for dining tables, for lounge chairs, for buffets, for launches, etc.

DINING…. The food is all in the back of the ship…deck 5 is the Grand Dining Room, deck 9 is the Terrace Café for breakfast & lunch buffet / Tapas on the Terrace for dinner buffet and the Waves Grill, and deck 10 has the specialty restaurants Toscana (Italian/Mediterranean) and Polo Grill (steakhouse).

Breakfasts…This was a very port-intensive trip, and there wasn’t much time for us to eat in the morning before starting our adventures on shore. However, the service was so good, that we were able to eat most of our breakfasts in the Grand Dining Room. The food was very good. As soon as you are seated there are multiple people bringing you juice, coffee, rolls (wonderful regular and chocolate croissants!), and taking your order. The fruit is especially wonderful – large, fresh mixed berries of every variety – with cereal and a croissant it was my perfect breakfast! The scrambled eggs were the only disappointing food, but Eggs Benedict and French Toast were quite good. Coffee was not good at any meal. We only ate in the Terrace Café a few times, but it was good. I think there were two stations where eggs were made, but other hot items were in chafing dishes. When in the Terrace Café, the waitstaff is very attentive, bringing you your beverages – coffee, tea, and will even get your juice. One special note is that there was no difference even on the last day of the cruise – they were still providing great service without any hesitation! We never tried breakfast in our stateroom since to us it is more of a hassle to juggle the dishware around than to just go to the dining room or buffet. . [On Azamara, we mostly had breakfast at the buffet, which had a more varied menu than on Oceania. There was a station for made to order pancakes and waffles and a great juice bar where they made any variety of delicious smoothies. Beverages were self-serve and we were able to make our own coffee or espresso, which was better than the regular coffee served. Coffee, tea and juices were available here 24 hours a day.]

Lunches…We ate many lunches on shore, due to the nature of the trip. However, we did try the dining room once, and the Terrace buffet a few times. The buffet was different every day, sometimes with themes (Mexican, Seafood, Oriental, Italian), the salad area was very good, and there was a limited selection of meats to put on a baguette. Just like breakfast, when dining in the Insignia’s Terrace Café, the waitstaff brings you your beverages – water, iced tea, lemonade, coffee, tea are all complimentary. We liked Arnold Palmers – iced tea and lemonade mixed. We did not try the Waves Grill by the pool, but we heard the hamburgers were wonderful. They also seemed to have a selection of paninis, reubens, chicken, etc. The Waves Grill was only open until 4, so there were certain times of the day when we were unable to get meal food, although room service is supposedly available (although not at all promoted). [On Azamara there was a better sandwich bar in the buffet with meats, cheeses and condiments, that they could assemble for you or make into a grilled panino. The Pool Grill also had beef kebabs, and was open until 6, so that you could always get a meal.]

Snacks…We only attended Afternoon Tea one day on the ship, but it was wonderful. They have it every day in the Horizons Lounge at 4pm. There is white glove service, and they come around to serve you your choice of tea or coffee, wheel carts around with pastries, and pass trays of sandwiches and canapes. The string quartet plays. I would highly recommend it.. There is an area to get ice cream, smoothies and milkshakes (all complimentary) by the Waves Grill. The ice cream was always wonderful, but we did not especially care for the milkshakes or smoothies, which were more like slurpies. [On Azamara, they had tea time in a specialty dining room, which is not as comfortable as being in a lounge. Azamara did have a few more options for snacks like snacks in their café from 4-5 and the Mosaic coffee and pastry bar on deck 5, and they also had an area to get Coffee, Tea and Juices 24 hours.]

Dinners…We ate most of our meals in the Grand Dining Room. We would walk up to the room whenever we wished, where there was never a line, and the maitre’d would ask us whether we wanted to be seated “with others” or “alone”. Towards the beginning of the cruise we always asked to be seated with others so that we could meet people, a few times we were tired and just wanted to eat alone, and by the end of the cruise we sometimes went with some friends we had made during the trip. The service was always impeccable. They did not take orders until the table was full, they never cleared a plate unless everyone at the table was finished with that course, and the waitstaff always introduced themselves and made us feel like it was a pleasure to serve us. The menu was different each day, yet there were a few staples that could always be ordered, lighter options, and vegetarian options. Personally, I would have preferred more basic food and better cuts of beef (filet mignon or tenderloin rather than hanger steak or sirloin), but the food was very good and sometimes excellent. The Beef Wellington on one of the last nights was the best meal of the trip. The presentation of the food was beautiful. On the first day we went to Toscana to make our specialty dining reservations, and there were quite a few dates available. There was no charge for these, but we were only able to eat once in each restaurant, and they seemed to have difficulty fitting people in after that, and it was a little difficult trying to get a reservation because you had to go to a certain place in the Terrace Café each morning to attempt to make these reservations...it would have been easier if you could call instead.. We were not disappointed, since we enjoyed our experiences in the Grand Dining Room as much as the others. Toscana was a more romantic experience. They have a unique “oil and vinegar cart” where they suggest that you try several varieties to find the one you like the best. The menu was large (probably larger than it needs to be since you can only eat here once or so), and the food, especially the pasta, was very good. The Polo Grill had excellent meat. We had the surf and turf, which many others recommended. Most people said the lobster in the Grand Dining Room was not good, but that it was excellent in the Polo Grill. Another consensus on the specialty restaurants is that everyone left them “very full”, while the Grand Dining Room experience was just right. We walked through Tapas on the Terrace one night and it looked fine, but it was too busy for what we like at dinner. However, we do know some people who ate here most nights and liked it very much. A duo also plays music here during the meal. I thought the food on the ship was very good, but not outstanding, and I said so in my mid-cruise review. This prompted a call from the Executive Chef himself as to what he could do to make our experience better, as well as a visit to our dining table that evening. There wasn’t a lot to be said…it was good, well-presented, and fine, just not outstanding. [In comparison to Azamara, the Grand Dining Room food on Oceania was much better than that on Azamara, but the specialty restaurants on Azamara were truly outstanding – an experience we did not have on Oceania.]

Drinks…We think the drinks were pretty much as expected, about $8 for top-shelf liquors. The sizes seemed to vary, but were like most places at home, and the strength was adequate. Every day they did have 3 drink specials that were $4.25, and there were 2 for 1 cocktails from 5-6pm each day, both of which were very good deals. We were able to purchase bottles of wine to drink at dinner, and in theory, we could have a glass or two at each meal, and they would keep the bottle(s) with our room number attached to use at our next dinner. One thing we did notice is that they quickly filled your glass before it was even empty, so you had to tell them if you did not want any more. We did think the barstaff in the bars were wonderful, however, we did not feel that the wine stewards in the dining rooms were very attentive, nor terribly knowledgeable. On the sea day, we attended a wine tasting that was quite informative and enjoyable…there was a charge, but it was a nice event. Incidentally, there seems to be no problem bringing wine on board from the ports, as long as you are low-key and consume it in your room…they even provide a cork screw in the stateroom.

ENTERTAINMENT… The entertainment is mostly in the front of the ship…deck 5 for the Insignia Lounge and deck 10 for the Horizons Lounge.

Insignia Lounge… is like a cabaret lounge. Good sight lines and comfortable. Not everyone attended the shows. The few we saw were good, but we didn’t feel that any of the shows were outstanding. The “headliners” did two shows each - Paul Edison (Frank Sinatra/Neil Diamond singer), Scott Pepper (magician), and Wojtek Mrozek (clarinet). The cruise staff performed at two shows and one member Frances Bordlee did her own show. The main orchestra is called the Valdi Band, and breaks up into several groups to perform as a duo or jazz quartet, and also combines with the Diamond String Quartet to make a fuller orchestra. They were very good. There is a good piano player Pawel Pluzek, who plays in various venues throughout the ship. It was nice not to have any ‘game show’ entertainment like we have seen on other ships. However, one thing we missed was a “singer/dancer” group, like we had on Azamara. This lounge also is the venue for the Cooking Demo (very well attended), Art Auction (lots and lots of art, not sure how well it sold), Lectures (Harry Chittik – Invasion of Sicily, Last Days of Pompeii, Hollywood Scandals), and Team Trivia (very well attended).

Horizon Lounge… is a nice area with big windows that overlooks the front of the ship. The string quartet plays music here from 4-5 for tea and they have DJ type music late night. This is where they have the ‘dance parties’ 70’s, 60’s, 50’s,, sometimes with a band.. These were not always well attended, since it was such a port-intensive trip, and most people were tired by 10pm and needed to rise early the next day.

Martinis Bar… is a nice place to gather for drinks at happy hour or after dinner. Pawel Pluzek the pianist played here often. This was our place to play “name that tune” trivia. We really liked the atmosphere of this bar, as a main gathering place on the ship.

5th Floor around Main Staircase…the Diamond String Quartet plays here frequently.

Casino…is mid-ship on deck 5…we did not use it, but it seemed fairly active most nights.

Bars…In addition to the lounges, there are bars in each of the restaurants. Many gathered in the Discoveries bar (lovely) to meet friends before dinner. We never saw any people in the Polo Grill or Toscana bars, although they are very nice. Martinis Bar on Deck 5 was our favorite. It was the place to gather in the afternoons, before or after dinner. Some of the trivias were played here, especially those involving the piano. There is also a Pool Bar, which is outdoors, and the waitstaff are attentive while you are at the pool.

Shops…There were 2 shops, all located mid-ship on deck 5. One is a clothing/sundries shop, and the other is a nice jewelry shop…there were a few ‘sidewalk sales’ but nothing like the craziness of pushing items for sale like on other ships.

The Library…is a lovely, quiet spot for reading or checking emails on the two computers there…a large selection of books were available to borrow and then return by the end of the trip.

Reception…There is a quiz, crossword puzzle and soduku each day in the bins by Reception. If you hand in the quiz by 5 pm, the winner receives “O” Points that can be cashed in at the end of the trip for Oceania merchandise.

Art Auction…This was present, but low-key, which is nice. They had artwork displayed, and they held the auctions on some days, but it was not overbearing. There is no Photo Gallery on this ship and no photographers asking you to pose. We didn’t miss it at all.

Laundry…with a 12 day cruise, it was good to have laundry facilities. There were some washers and dryers in a room on Deck 7 (probably could have used more). The cost was $1.50 to wash (tokens which you could get from Guest Relations) and $1.50 to dry (45 minutes). The detergent was included in the wash. There is also an iron and ironing board in this room.

Computer Center…This is a nice facility, next to the Spa. There are a good number of very nice computers, where internet is available. The cost is quite expensive...95 cents per minute or packages are available, starting at 100 minutes for $80. There were deals where you could get 10% more minutes if you purchased your package early. Additional minutes would be at your package rate, so we determined that the $80 package with additional minutes at 80 cents per minute was cheaper than the next highest package. The connection was adequate, but slower than we are used to, so some minutes are wasted in that manner. The computer center is open 24 hours, and staffed for very long hours… the person in charge seemed very helpful to passengers. They also offered some enrichment classes, several to do with pictures and computers, which seem to have been very well received.

Card Room…There is a beautiful card room with tables and games. I did not see it used much, and even when they had informal bridge, it was not held in this room.

Pool…The pool lounges were very comfortable and very nice, seemingly of teak. They all had cushions and every day they put clean terrycloth pads over the cushions. There were towels placed on all the lounge chairs and also in a bin…you didn’t have to ‘sign them out’ like on other ships. We had warm weather, so the pool area was pretty busy most late afternoons…it was difficult to get a chair in the shade, but not in the sun. We didn’t notice any problems with people “saving” chairs or leaving items on empty chairs. We only saw music by the pool once, which was fine. Incidentally, there are lounge chairs on each side of deck 5 that are in the shade and are hardly ever used…it is a nice quiet place to read and enjoy being outside. [On Azamara they also had many deck chairs on Deck 11 forward, which could come in handy.]

Canyon Ranch Spa…We did not use any of the facilities, but heard it was very good. The staff did not push spa treatments at all – like they do on some ships, which was nice. Actually, you wouldn’t even know the spa was there if you did not seek it out. There is a thalossotherapy pool (saltwater with powerful jet stations) in the spa, and special lounge cabanas out on deck, which I think can both be used with either a day or week-long pass.

Fitness Center…The fitness center was very nice. There were classes (free) every day at 6:30am, 7:30am and 6pm. There were a few more classes on the sea day, and some specialty classes which did have charges, but with such a busy port schedule, we never found it convenient to attend or use the machines or the classes. ACTIVITIES… The cruise director Leslie Jon, was obviously very experienced and did a fine job. He managed to convey the activities taking place without constant interruption on the PA system, was friendly to passengers when meeting them in person, did a good job as master of ceremonies, and surprised us as an entertainer as well. Each morning the tv station records a video of Leslie discussing the activities and it plays for most of the day. With many activities, you can win “O Points” which can be redeemed at the sundries store for Oceania merchandise. They are generous in doling out the points (everyone on a first-place trivia team wins 3 points for example) and the merchandise is nice…we were able to get both a cinch bag and ipod holder by the end of the cruise, and we even have a few “O” points left for our next cruise!

Some activities include…dance classes, team trivia, music trivia, sodoku challenge, golf putting, golf bowling, shuffleboard, ping pong, lectures, cooking demo, wine tasting, computer enrichment classes, movie night, games night with the staff & crew.

SPECIAL EVENTS… Informal Cruise Critic Get-Together…On our roll call board, two of our members announced an informal get-together in Horizons following the life boat drill. This was a great way to meet up with our online “friends” right away. Nametags were provided so we could instantly recognize each other. This enabled us to make most of our friends for the trip. [Oceania did not do anything extra for Cruise Critic members…on Azamara they hosted a party for us, but it was a newer cruise line and needed to develop a loyal following.]

Captain’s Welcome Champagne Reception…This was held on Day 3 at 5:45. It was a nice party with free drinks (champagne, red & white wine, rum punch). The orchestra played and the cruise director introduced the Captain, who spoke and introduced the staff. It was very nice.

PASSENGERS… We are in our early 50’s, and just happened to have time off from work to take 2 weeks for this trip. Although were were among the youngest onboard, there were a few honeymooners and several couples in their 30’s or 40’s, but I would guess that most of the passengers were in their mid to late sixties, active, intelligent, and well-traveled. Most people were also very friendly. We met a lot of people early on through the cruise critic get together, ship activities, and by eating dinner with others. On a small ship, you keep running into the same people…on the ship and even on shore. We liked this very much. It was just what we were hoping the trip would be.

DRESS CODE… I would say that “country club casual” is a perfect description for the dress code. Men were mostly seen in long pants with collared shirts (polo or button down). Women were mostly in nice dresses, skirts or pants with tops. Probably the one night people dressed a bit more was at the Captain’s Welcome Reception. If someone brought a sports jacket or dress, they wore it that night. That is not to say that you did not see sports jackets on other nights, but if you did, you just thought they had eaten in one of the specialty restaurants that night (which might or might not have been true). I definitely do not remember any suits, tuxedos or gowns or overly dressy clothes. But everyone always looked very nicely dressed, even during the day.

SERVICE… The service was excellent. Every time we passed a crew member or member of the cruise staff, they would make eye contact, smile, and greet us. Our stewards did a great job of doing our room whenever we were absent, so that we never really saw them. The dining staff was especially good – swift but friendly and proper service. When in port, the ship brought a local person on board each day to provide maps and answer questions for those who wanted to do things on their own. Some shuttle buses were complimentary, which is not always the case on other cruise lines. The cruise staff was friendly, but we did not get to know them as well as we did on Azamara. On one of the port days the staff made an amazing gesture that the passengers loved…I won’t spoil the surprise, but it was special. [On Azamara, the service was truly outstanding. For example, each morning, several members from the cruise staff and officers were outside shaking our hands as we got off the ship, and the cruise director, along with staff and officers were there the last day as well to say goodbye and give us handshakes and hugs. The service component was more noticeable, but Oceania was still certainly excellent.]

DEBARKATION… This was as smooth as embarkation. We were asked to vacate our rooms at 8am, then had a leisurely breakfast and waited in the Insignia Lounge for a short time until our color was called at about 9 am. We walked right to the gangway, went right over to our luggage and got in our cruise-arranged bus to the airport.

PORTS OF CALL…

This trip took a lot of intensive planning for every port, and Cruise Critic was invaluable in having a great experience. Using information other passengers told us about on our last cruise, we planned private excursions that were better and less expensive than the shore excursions provided by the ship, and we made friends with our fellow passengers as well. We researched the Ports of Call boards and past Roll Call boards for similar itineraries, and found some tour providers that came highly recommended, then we offered those excursions to those on the Insignia Roll Call board for September 4, 2009. When a private tour was not necessary or feasible, we sometimes chose a ship shore excursion, and we sometimes used Rick Steves’ guidebooks to show us the way to explore on our own. Here is a rundown on what we did. I would do most of it all over again, and I think we did it all at reasonable cost.

Weather… We had sunny skies every day with the exception of one rainy morning in Genoa. We did miss one port of call, Portofino, which was disappointing, but Genoa was fine (some people actually went to Portofino from Genoa which would have been a good option). The temperature was mostly in the low 80’s. Crowds were also light most places we went (although not as light as the April/May timeframe). Many times we were the only ship in port.

Athens…We flew in on an Oceania-arranged overnight trip from Boston on British Airways, arriving on the day the cruise was to leave. The cruise line provided transfers from the airport to the pier by private taxi. We had hoped to do some sight-seeing in Athens after we boarded the ship, but we were too tired and our room was not ready so there was nowhere to put our carry-on luggage, so we did not see Athens at all.

Delos…We had decided to do this port on our own. I had printed a map of the area from home, and a more detailed map was provided upon entry to the site. The cost is 5 Euros, which is collected as you leave the ship tender. While the walking is uneven, it is not difficult to walk around and see the major items. We saw the lion replicas, the “lake”, the museum (with the real lions), and some homes with mosaics. It was interesting.

Mykonos…The same afternoon we docked here. A free bus was provided to bring us to town – a short ride, but not one you would want to walk. We also did this island on our own. We walked around the waterfront, browsed the shops (very nice merchandise), stopped in several chapels (there are many), had a frappe at Nikos Taverna (had to try it), saw the famous Pelican mascot, checked out the windmills, and saw Little Venice. Then, still jetlagged a bit, we headed back to the ship for dinner at Toscana.

Rhodes…We docked here and were able to easily walk to the walled city of Old Town Rhodes. The streets are made of rounded stones. There are many interesting shops selling rugs, linens, jewelry along the main commercial street. We saw the mosque from the outside (no entry), and did our own self-guided tour of the Palace of the Grand Masters (6 Euros). Very pretty marble fireplaces and gorgeous floor mosaics taken from the island of Kos. Walked down Street of the Knights, government buildings that once housed the Knights of St. John. Had fruit smoothies in a café by the fountain and watched the waiters summon patrons. Walked to the Kahal Shalom Synagogue (they provided shawls and headpieces – no entry fee), which had a beautiful stone courtyard mosaic. The museum there tells the story of the Jewish population during World War II - 2100 were taken from Rhodes to concentration camps. Shopped a bit and bought a beautiful beaded table runner. We went back to the ship for lunch and a leisurely afternoon.

Santorini…This was one of our few ship excursions. I was concerned about having to take a cable car or donkey to the town (Fira), since I am afraid of heights (or was until this trip!!). So instead we opted for the excursion that tenders you to a different part of the island where you go up by motorcoach. It failed to tell us that you have to return to the ship by donkey, walking or cable car anyway, so there is no avoiding it…and the cable car ride is easy and only lasts 3 minutes, so it is very do-able, even if you are afraid of heights. In hindsight, we would have taken the cable car up, gotten a public bus from Fira to Oia and back, and just wandered ourselves, which would have saved considerable money and given us as much time as we wanted in Oia, but we were not disappointed with our tour. The motorcoach climbs the mountains and goes to the very top, which was a bit scary for me (I stayed on the bus rather than getting out to see the view), and then we saw parts of the island where wine is grown (low to the ground due to the winds). We stopped in Oia which is the most beautiful town. I would not want to go to Santorini without having seen Oia…it is the town that is pictured on all the travel posters of the Greek Isles – absolutely breathtaking. And while it was right on the top of a cliff, with stairways down to the hotels and restaurants, and infinity pools perched on the edges, I was not afraid at all. The walkway is beautifully made, with quite a few nice shops and cute restaurants along the way. The views are just magnificent. We had a Greek pastry, strawberry crepe and Greek coffee in one of the cafes overlooking the cliff – delicious! The guide had told us where to go to get the “best” view that is seen on all the postcards. We had barely enough time (hour and a half) to do these things before we had to be back on the bus to go to Fira. The guide walked us to the promenade area of Fira and pointed out some good restaurants, then we were on our own with tokens for the cable car so that we could return to the ship at our leisure. We went into the Cathedral, where there is one artist (Christoforos Asimis) who painted the entire interior – he had been featured on Samantha Brown – we also stopped into his art gallery, Phenomenon, where they gave me a brochure of his work. We had a wonderful traditional Greek lunch at Ouzo’s, about a block from the promenade. Greek salad, hummus with bread, red peppers stuffed with feta, tomato fritters, fried zucchini with dill sauce…he brought us some Vin Santo (a Santorini dessert wine) complimentary at the end of the meal. We walked around the lovely shops along the promenade, bought a few pieces of Greek jewelry where the artist custom-fitted my bracelet, bought a white Greek shirt, saw the donkey path, and had pistachio milkshakes at Sunset Taverna which also overlooks the caldera. We took the cable car down, which was a quick 3-minute ride, and then tendered back to the ship.

Malta…We got up to watch us enter this pretty harbor. This was our first port with our cruise critic friends. It was planned by others and was a private tour (guide Flora and driver) in a lovely van for 6 of us, through www.touringmalta.com (the Malta Classic Tour). We drove around the city of Valletta, had a walking tour of the streets, where we saw cafes, library, auberges, the courtyard of the Palace of the Grand Masters, and the highlight, which was the Co-Cathedral of St. John. Our guide gave us a wonderful tour of this cathedral, pointing out all the highlights – chapels for each of the “languages”, the Caravaggio of The Beheading of St. John, and the tapestries. We had a short visit to the Upper Barrakka Gardens with a beautiful view. We then drove to the site of the Hagar Qim Temple from 3300 BC, but only a few of us went inside. We drove to Marsaxlokk fishing village, where she pointed out the colorful luzzu fishing boats and the outdoor market. We had a traditional lunch there – some had whole fish – along with Green Label white local wine, which was very good. We then drove to Mdina, and walked through this walled medieval “silent” city. We raced back to the ship and had just enough time to buy some (gorgeous and reasonable!) Mdina glass in a shop right on the pier.

Taormina, Sicily…This was the first tour we had planned with our cruise critic friends – a group of 8. We all met in the Insignia Lounge so that we could get on the same tender. This was the “Godfather Local Tour” through www.sicilylife.com We met our guide Antonio, on the dock and he gave us a wonderful tour of all the hill towns in the area, pointing out where scenes from the movie were made. We saw Forza d’Agro with a very old church, quiet streets and a beautiful plaza overlooking Sicily. Then on to Savoca, where we went into the Bar Vitelli and walked up a long cliffside road (beautiful views) to the Church of St. Lucy, featured in the first movie. We then drove to the Cathedral where they were about to have a funeral. Castelmola was next, which is amazingly perched on the top of a cliff. This is a beautiful village with a church tower, a nice pottery shop, and a bar that features an almond wine, which we all sampled and some bought. Our driver then dropped us off in Taormina, where we had free time for a few hours to have lunch (Maccheroni alla Norma at A Zammara – wonderful traditional Sicilian dish of pasta, eggplant, tomatoes and ricotta cheese!), get our famous cannoli, and buy pottery (gorgeous!). Some also walked up to the Greek Theater (we had done that last year). Taormina is really special – quaint shops, cute alleys, nice plaza, and beautiful views. Our guide then picked us up at our appointed time and brought us back to the dock. A wonderful day.

Sorrento…We had been to Sorrento last year where we did Pompeii, Capri and the Amalfi Coast, so this time we decided to just enjoy Sorrento for the day. We took the tender and then rode the Oceania free shuttle to the top of the hill (this only runs til 4pm however). We used Rick Steve’s Italy book, and followed his walking tour of the cathedral, courtyard, shrine, men’s club, San Cesareo shops, promenade, and Foreigner’s Club. We also stopped in at the Hotel Excelsior for a beautiful stroll through their gardens and view from their terrace. We love to browse the shops on San Cesareo, where there are free samples of lemon products (huge lemons!), wonderful craftsmen at the very end of the street (we bought a beautiful inlaid wood box) and silk/cashmere pashminas (10 Euros). We like the plaza, Piazzo Tasso, and had great pizza at Pizzeria Aurora last year – it was not quite as good this year, but still nice. We walked to the Lemon Grove Garden, where you can see groves of lemon trees and sample limoncello at a stand in the back – wonderful! We had good gelato at Davide. We then took the shuttle back to the ship, swam and got ready for dinner, then came back onshore with some friends for a nice dinner at La Lanterna. Since the shuttles had stopped running, we took the public bus to the top (1 Euro – need to stamp the ticket on the bus first). After dinner we saw people walking along the Via Corso, which they close to traffic each evening. We then found a great route to walk down to the ship…starting in an alley by the Il Buca restaurant– I don’t think many people find this route and it is not very difficult to traverse.

Amalfi…Another cruise critic tour – this time with 12 of us. We all got the same tender and met Paolo on the dock from www.amalficoastcruise.com We had been to Positano last year by bus on the Amalfi coast, so this time we wanted to see the sights from the sea. The private boat was just amazing – all white, cushioned, with plenty of room in back or up on the front of the boat. We felt like we were in Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, and it was such a reasonable cost (49 Euros each!). The boat starts out east past the towns of Atrani, Minori, Maeori, Ravello. We went into Pandora’s Grotto – an arch into a cove – very cool. Then we headed back past Amalfi. We stopped at the Emerald Grotto, and we all tried to decide whether to pay the 5 Euros each extra to go inside. We all did it, and didn’t think it was worth it, but were happy we weren’t the people who did the ship excursion that only went here for $99 each! We saw Lover’s Arch, went inside Furore Fjord, past Praiano and then all along the coast to Positano, where we had two hours to browse, have lunch (La Pergola – very good), buy more pottery. When we got back on the boat we felt really special…we then rode to a private beach area where most of the passengers dove off the boat for a swim. The boat then brought us back to Amalfi by 1:30,where we had about an hour to quickly see the cathedral, the little square, get some gelato, and head back to the ship. This was another amazing day.

Livorno…We were here last year and went to Florence and Lucca, so this year we wanted to see Siena and San Gimignano. We were unable to find people to share a tour with us, so we opted for the ship’s excursion, which was very good and only had 33 people. We had a very funny and informative guide who talked all about Italian culture as well as the regions we were visiting. The drive was about 2 hours, with a coffee break/bathroom stop. We met another guide in Siena, who gave us a walking tour with a lot of great information. We saw the San Domenico Church with relics from St. Catherine of Siena. We walked through several of the ‘districts’ and she explained the Palio and its significance to the town – fascinating. We also walked to the Duomo, where she explained how it was planned to be much larger, but it was built incorrectly and then was never finished because the plague came…the unfinished walls still stand. A district parade came through while we were there, waving their flags for their feast day. We walked to Il Campo, where she explained more details of the Palio horse race event held in July and August – 60,000 people crowd Il Campo to see which district will win and then celebrate for the rest of the year. We then had about an hour to wander, so we opted to go inside the Duomo, where there are beautiful mosaic floors, a Bernini chapel, a Michelangelo statue, and dedications to St. Mary. After grabbing a slice of pizza and eating it in the middle of Il Campo, we re-joined the group and got back on the bus for the pretty ride through the Tuscan countryside to San Gimignano. This is known as the City of Towers – there once were about 70, but now there are about 15. There are many cute shops, steep walks, pretty views. Our guide met us here again to give a walking tour of the town. We then had free time and had our best gelato of the trip – eggnog and chocolate – at Pluripremiata Gelateria Artigiana, which proudly displays a sign “World’s Best Gelato”.

Monte Carlo…We docked, then met our cruise critic group – eight of us - for another tour we planned. This time with Sylvie di Cristo, www.azur-guides.net who is highly recommended on the cruise critic boards. She was quite amusing, very knowledgeable, and showed us a great deal of the area with great enthusiasm. We decided as a group the places we wished to visit for the day. We first drove around the Grand Prix circuit, then went by the Grimaldi Palace area, where we stopped for a short walk to take pictures. Next was the Cathedral where Princess Grace was married, and is now buried. It was the anniversary of her death that particular day, so flowers had been put on her grave. The church is very pretty, with altarpieces from the 1200’s that have been recently restored. We then drove to the Casino area, where we saw the outside of the Opera House, went inside the Hotel de Paris and even into one of its main dining rooms – very ornate. We walked around the area, admiring the outside of the Casino and the Café de Paris. Next we drove to Eze, a medieval hill town in France, where we parked and walked to the top. We had a wonderful lunch which she had reserved at the Le Cactus, enjoying crepes and locally made cider. She pointed out two five star hotels there, and we walked on the terrace of the Chateau de la Chevre D’Or www.chevredor.com – what an amazing place! There were several cute shops, including one with pretty linens. Back in the car, we drove to Nice, parked, and walked up a very long set of stairs to Castle Hill, which had a beautiful view of Old Nice and the Promenade des Anglais. We then walked around Old Nice, where we had gelato, stopped in some linen market shops, and Sylvie pointed out areas of interest. We walked back on the Promenade des Anglais. She also stopped at a pretty lookout on the way back for a beautiful view of the coastline. It was a wonderful tour.

Genoa…We had rough seas and were therefore unable to go to Portofino, so we docked in Genoa instead. It was colder and rainy, and we hadn’t planned anything here, so we just got a map from the local guide on board, and set out on our own. It was a long walk to the center of town – about 40 minutes. There is a pretty church there, but we were unable to go inside at the time we were there – we heard it was very beautiful. We did find Garibaldi Street, which used to be lined with palaces. Some of these are public buildings, so we walked into their courtyards to admire them. We did buy tickets to see Palazzo Rosso and Bianco…they had grand staircases and large rooms, but they were mostly plain except for nice artwork throughout…more like an art museum. We then found a wonderful place for lunch that used to be the entryway for a palace…Garibaldi Café. We had great pasta,, pizza, ensalada mista, and wine. We then walked back to the ship.

The last night of our journey we were able to reserve the Captain’s Table for the six couples with whom we shared most of our excursions. It was a wonderful ending to a wonderful trip! We are ready to book another Oceania cruise next year.

If you have any further questions or want more links to tours we used, please contact me by email at phowl@comcast.net.

Here is a link to my ship pictures

http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLanding.action?c=15cjioma.5lirlubi&x=1&y=lpqd1d&localeid=en_US

Here is a link to my pictures of the ports of call

http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLanding.action?c=15cjioma.2snhaq0u&x=1&y=-mu1aoq&localeid=en_US

Patty Howland